Work ethic pays off for diligent Chanderpaul

Discipline, rigour, hard work have been Shivnarine Chanderpaul's pillars of success, attributes that have contributed to his longevity, as he prepares to join an elite club of Test cricketers to have played 150 Tests

Nearly two hours after West Indies started training at the Wankhede Stadium, Shivnarine Chanderpaul got his turn to bat at No. 5 in the nets. Wearing an elbow, hip and rib guard, Chanderpaul got up from his seat, stretched as far as he could and then walked in to bat. He did not knock the bail to mark his guard, a ritual he follows during matches, as he quickly assumed his peculiar stance to face the first ball. For the next 25 minutes, Chanderpaul either left the balls, tapped them or flicked them towards the leg side or played the ball at the very last minute with minimum fuss. Not once did he hit a stroke in the air - the only West Indies batsman in Tuesday's practice session to do so.

Discipline, rigour, hard work have been Chanderpaul's pillars of success, attributes that have contributed to his longevity. On Thursday, as India will shed tears to celebrate the beginning of Sachin Tendulkar's final match, people in Guyana will stay awake to proudly watch their own son walk in to his 150th Test. It is a milestone no one in the Caribbean has reached, and probably never would.

Even if Brian Lara remains the most popular West Indies player of this generation, Chanderpaul has quietly amassed his own set of records playing alongside, and after, Lara. They are the only two batsmen to score more than 10000 Test runs for West Indies. Chanderpaul has six fewer centuries than Lara, who finished his career with 34 tons. However, if there is one statistic Chanderpaul will be proud of, it is this: from 2007, he has averaged 70.52 in 48 Tests. Among the 78 batsmen who have scored at least 1000 runs during this period, no one, including Tendulkar, has averaged more.

To call Chanderpaul a freak comes easy. But, in essence, he remains a phenomenon; a machine whose expiry date might be drawing closer, but it nevertheless continues to run smoothly without any creaking noises.

"It takes a lot of work. You have to put in a lot of work," Chanderpaul said, after training in Mumbai on Tuesday. "As an individual you have to pick yourself up to go to the nets, do a lot of work, practice the way you go bat in the game. There are so many things you have to do - training, keeping the fitness and everything that takes to get on the park and get your work done. And also maintain a standard you think will help you to succeed at the highest level."

That last part, maintaining high standards, is the USP of the great players and Chanderpaul never compromised on that. Like Tendulkar, Chanderpaul has made changes to his stance, his backlift and other subtle technical shifts, but the one constant has been his solid temperament. As he showed against Australia at Bourda in 2003, when he hit a 69-ball century, he could shift gears, but he always knew that the best way he could help and guide the West Indies batting was by resisting any temptation and stonewalling the bowling. Among contemporary batsmen, he has the lowest strike-rate in Test cricket. No one bowler can confidently say that he ever had a hold over Chanderpaul.

Lara might have scored triumphant and memorable match-winning centuries, but he was never as successful as Chanderpaul in stitching valuable partnerships with the tail. "I know we have had a lot of players in the past who played a lot of shots. But I have also looked at a lot of other players and tried to find a way you can fit in, and a way you can add value to the team. I figured out that might be the best way for me," Chanderpaul said.

Perhaps the most unique characteristic Chanderpaul has is that he has managed to absorb West Indies' constant slide down the rankings table and never allowed the team's downwards spiral to affect his own form. "Especially not winning," Chanderpaul said, when asked about the most challenging moment of his career. "We started turning some corners. We started to move back up the rankings. We need to keep fighting."

Personally for Chanderpaul, he would ideally like to overtake Lara as the highest run-maker in West Indies. Currently he trails his former team-mate by 1015 Test runs and if possible also log the highest number of centuries in the remainder of his career. The batsman remains optimistic. "I never thought I would get this far in the beginning but who knows where we can go if we keep persisting," he said, with a chuckle, when asked if he might aspire to play 200 Tests.

A great article fitting every facet of one of cricket's most dynamic player.Shivnarine Chanderpaul.No other batsman in the history of this game can boost more commitment like the ever green Guyanese.It's a shame on those he represent,their narrow mindedness has deprived them the privilege of recognizing greatness. Many around the world applaud his achievements.Like Tendulkar and Lara,there may never be a player in the caliber of Shiv.Not only is he an artist of precision and class,he is a gentleman who earns respects where ever he goes.I met him on a few occasions and it doesn't come better.At age 40 he is a revelation.I wish him many more centuries and may god continue to bless this master piece.

nafzak
on November 12, 2013, 22:53 GMT

A man is a product of his time and conditions. Chanderpaul must be understood in the context of his upbringing in Guyana - which in the 70's & 80's was a time of survival at al costs. He reminds me of former tennis great, Ivan Lendal. Grit, hard work and less flash. Enough that Chanders only plays for average or did not have many match winning innings. Please let me know when he had the opportunity to 'win' or 'save' a match and he did not. Wi have been losing big.. with days to spare and behind 2-300 runs. Fact is Chanders is always in 'survival' mode because the top order failed and WI has a long tail. I would argue that if Chanders batted higher up, his average would have been even higher that is is now. India, Australia, South Africa.. all have 4-5 great batsmen in their team. WI have 1 in Chanders and 3-4 less than average to give Chanders support.

PPD123
on November 12, 2013, 19:39 GMT

A truly magnificent player of his generation. Very underrated and probably never got spoken about as much as some of his peers. Couple of things that go against him - the 1st is not his doing - he was born in an era when WI were on their downward spiral and 2ndly his game was not very "attractive" to the general audience. I think he has the lowest strike rate amongst all his contemporaries. While he was making runs, he was not making them fast enough to force more wins for WI. thats why people remember Lara because he was a genus with the bat at played so many match winning inngs - who can forget that magical 153 against Aus which secured a 1 wkt win for the WI. All said he has been a great servant of WI cricket, and all said and done he deserves to be rated very highly in the pantheon of WI and world cricket.

cricketdebator
on November 12, 2013, 19:36 GMT

One of the reasons why Chanderpaul is hardly recognized for his feats is that while batting, he does not stamp his authority on the game. As the supposedly best batsman on the team, he needs to bat at No. 3 or 4, take command, and shape the course of the team's innings. For him to relegate himself so far down the order, mostly taking a single from the first ball of each over, is simply not enough. That is why the few runs he ends with most of the times are of little or no significance to the team's effort. Yes, he specializes in batting not out, and make his average looks good, but how many times in those 149 test did he play a MATCH DEFINING innings for his team? By that I mean, (an innings similar to that played by Sharma in the just conclude test match).

rayinto
on November 14, 2013, 18:25 GMT

Lara & Hooper were allowed to shine because Shiv was batting at the other end!

on November 14, 2013, 3:22 GMT

Sometimes Chander and Dravid have produced much more match winning innings than Lara and Tendulkar. They do the hard work and the stars walk with the accolades.

on November 14, 2013, 1:52 GMT

One of the greats of the modern game and certainly a stalwart for WI. While his technique may not please the purist, there is no denying his grit and determination. He has been the backbone in an otherwise rather fragile batting line-up for the WI for a long long time and seems to be be improving with age. May the Almighty grant him many more fruitful years in Test cricket.

on November 14, 2013, 1:42 GMT

Glad to see players like Chanderpaul still playing. He is the last one of the glorious West Indian Old Guard.

delboy
on November 13, 2013, 23:22 GMT

...continued to just play too much cricket in India and familiarity causes contempt and recklessness. Amongst all this I fail to understand why Cotteril is selected ahead of Santokie?

delboy
on November 13, 2013, 23:19 GMT

Shiv the elder statesman of this team is perfectly placed at number 5. If he bats any higher then chances are WI test matches could be over inside two days. Darren Bravo, Best , Gayle, Ramdin and Sammy need extensive MENTAL sessions. Ramdin is the team VC ; he is a good keeper and perfectly capable batsman but whenever he come to the wicket with bat in hand, it seems memories of what happened when he demonstrated proving his critics wrong come back to haunt him. There are sign of panic about Bravo; he must realise that once he gets in he must carry on do not soak up deliveries , see off the new ball then throw your wicket away. It only takes 25 boundaries to score a century, wait for those 25 balls amongst the 70 plus faced. Best needs decide whether its better to grip a wet ball soaked with perspiration and get it to do something or have the ball dried and shined and use a flannel to mop his brow; (That's if he uses anything other than brute force). In Gayle and Sammy's case the apper

on November 12, 2013, 23:14 GMT

A great article fitting every facet of one of cricket's most dynamic player.Shivnarine Chanderpaul.No other batsman in the history of this game can boost more commitment like the ever green Guyanese.It's a shame on those he represent,their narrow mindedness has deprived them the privilege of recognizing greatness. Many around the world applaud his achievements.Like Tendulkar and Lara,there may never be a player in the caliber of Shiv.Not only is he an artist of precision and class,he is a gentleman who earns respects where ever he goes.I met him on a few occasions and it doesn't come better.At age 40 he is a revelation.I wish him many more centuries and may god continue to bless this master piece.

nafzak
on November 12, 2013, 22:53 GMT

A man is a product of his time and conditions. Chanderpaul must be understood in the context of his upbringing in Guyana - which in the 70's & 80's was a time of survival at al costs. He reminds me of former tennis great, Ivan Lendal. Grit, hard work and less flash. Enough that Chanders only plays for average or did not have many match winning innings. Please let me know when he had the opportunity to 'win' or 'save' a match and he did not. Wi have been losing big.. with days to spare and behind 2-300 runs. Fact is Chanders is always in 'survival' mode because the top order failed and WI has a long tail. I would argue that if Chanders batted higher up, his average would have been even higher that is is now. India, Australia, South Africa.. all have 4-5 great batsmen in their team. WI have 1 in Chanders and 3-4 less than average to give Chanders support.

PPD123
on November 12, 2013, 19:39 GMT

A truly magnificent player of his generation. Very underrated and probably never got spoken about as much as some of his peers. Couple of things that go against him - the 1st is not his doing - he was born in an era when WI were on their downward spiral and 2ndly his game was not very "attractive" to the general audience. I think he has the lowest strike rate amongst all his contemporaries. While he was making runs, he was not making them fast enough to force more wins for WI. thats why people remember Lara because he was a genus with the bat at played so many match winning inngs - who can forget that magical 153 against Aus which secured a 1 wkt win for the WI. All said he has been a great servant of WI cricket, and all said and done he deserves to be rated very highly in the pantheon of WI and world cricket.

cricketdebator
on November 12, 2013, 19:36 GMT

One of the reasons why Chanderpaul is hardly recognized for his feats is that while batting, he does not stamp his authority on the game. As the supposedly best batsman on the team, he needs to bat at No. 3 or 4, take command, and shape the course of the team's innings. For him to relegate himself so far down the order, mostly taking a single from the first ball of each over, is simply not enough. That is why the few runs he ends with most of the times are of little or no significance to the team's effort. Yes, he specializes in batting not out, and make his average looks good, but how many times in those 149 test did he play a MATCH DEFINING innings for his team? By that I mean, (an innings similar to that played by Sharma in the just conclude test match).

rayinto
on November 14, 2013, 18:25 GMT

Lara & Hooper were allowed to shine because Shiv was batting at the other end!

on November 14, 2013, 3:22 GMT

Sometimes Chander and Dravid have produced much more match winning innings than Lara and Tendulkar. They do the hard work and the stars walk with the accolades.

on November 14, 2013, 1:52 GMT

One of the greats of the modern game and certainly a stalwart for WI. While his technique may not please the purist, there is no denying his grit and determination. He has been the backbone in an otherwise rather fragile batting line-up for the WI for a long long time and seems to be be improving with age. May the Almighty grant him many more fruitful years in Test cricket.

on November 14, 2013, 1:42 GMT

Glad to see players like Chanderpaul still playing. He is the last one of the glorious West Indian Old Guard.

delboy
on November 13, 2013, 23:22 GMT

...continued to just play too much cricket in India and familiarity causes contempt and recklessness. Amongst all this I fail to understand why Cotteril is selected ahead of Santokie?

delboy
on November 13, 2013, 23:19 GMT

Shiv the elder statesman of this team is perfectly placed at number 5. If he bats any higher then chances are WI test matches could be over inside two days. Darren Bravo, Best , Gayle, Ramdin and Sammy need extensive MENTAL sessions. Ramdin is the team VC ; he is a good keeper and perfectly capable batsman but whenever he come to the wicket with bat in hand, it seems memories of what happened when he demonstrated proving his critics wrong come back to haunt him. There are sign of panic about Bravo; he must realise that once he gets in he must carry on do not soak up deliveries , see off the new ball then throw your wicket away. It only takes 25 boundaries to score a century, wait for those 25 balls amongst the 70 plus faced. Best needs decide whether its better to grip a wet ball soaked with perspiration and get it to do something or have the ball dried and shined and use a flannel to mop his brow; (That's if he uses anything other than brute force). In Gayle and Sammy's case the apper

CricFanKrish
on November 13, 2013, 19:14 GMT

Hats off to Shiv! 150 tests is not only a milestone, but also shows his determination, perseverance, physical fitness, being non-controversial, being a team-player, extreme concentration ... the list goes on. Go on Shiv! You have surely made West Indies proud.

on November 13, 2013, 19:11 GMT

I remember a skinny young teenager in 1994 batting with lara when he made his 375 in Antigua. I said back then that we have another 25+ century batsmen here.. Thank you chanderpaul for not proving me wrong

FR3AKX
on November 13, 2013, 14:39 GMT

In the last 2 decade's of Cricket, there have been only 2 batsman in World cricket whose Technique, Grit & committment, ability to absorb pressure, adaptability to various pitches around the world have been known & appreciated many times - Rahul Dravid (The Wall) & Shivnarine Chanderpaul (The Run Machine). Hats off to these 2 legends of cricket who have unfortunately always been overshadowed by Lara & Sachin who have been the more flamboyant batsman with attractive stokeplay. BUT these 2 have done all the dirty work for the team, carried the burden of team when in dire straits by holding one end up and safeguarding the tail many a time. I can safely say that they have been the SPINE of both INDIA & WI batting in the last 2 decades without them it would all fall over like pieces of scrap/bones.

on November 13, 2013, 12:19 GMT

Disgrace that Chamberlain won't bat higher than 5 .he should be 3rd in where his blocking prodding and spoiling would help the other batsmen get in. What point gas there been in him being 5th if Windies aren't even playing a 6th batsmen and the 7th is Sammy and 8-11 are actually all number eleven???

kasifdotinfo
on November 13, 2013, 11:52 GMT

Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been solid throughout his career, and his run since 2007 really has been spectacular, especially considering his age and his threatened position in the West Indies team. In that time frame, he had only a couple of poor series - both in 2009, in England and Australia. His average certainly is bolstered by 21 not-outs out of 80 innings (and so it might not be as impressive as Kumar Sangakkara's average of 64.54 since 2007), but a lot of those not-outs were still big scores, and he can't be blamed if the team management decides that he should bat low down the order. Chanderpaul should certainly be considered one of the modern greats, and isn't far behind Lara. If he is allowed to play on into his 40s, as he might well be able to, then he could even surpass Lara by some measures.

on November 13, 2013, 10:26 GMT

Very very few REAL test match players are left now and this guy is one of the best in the business. Absolute class, hard working and patience; and these 3 make Shiv Chanderpaul. Very different technique from the other; Bowlers usually think that he might leave the ball, but suddenly either he fickes or cut the ball; Quite Unusual; serving the country for almost 20yrs. with an avg of 52 and 11000 runs. What a player. I never saw this guy out of form; playing his natural game with unorthodox technique and shot; Ofcourse as an Indian fan (Sachin's fan) I would be more focused on Sachin but for surely will be celebrating his 150th test innings. Cheers!!

greatmanu
on November 13, 2013, 7:22 GMT

Lara and Chanderpaul are like Sachin and Dravid.... one is a celebrity and the other a soft and silent character... nevertheless, i love all the 4 for their commitment to cricket.

on November 13, 2013, 6:27 GMT

I feel Chanderpaul and Dravid are very unfortunately to come in the same era of Lara and Sachin. Most of the times the former two remained under the shadow of latter two.

on November 13, 2013, 5:52 GMT

tremendous player. plenty of class.

everfaithful77
on November 13, 2013, 5:35 GMT

CONGRATS SHIV CHANDERPAUL ON THE EVE OF YOUR 150TH TEST MATCH. This is truly a tremendous milestone not only for yourself but also the entire West Indies since no other Windies cricketer has achieved this feat. You will always have detractors mainly because of your style and approach to batting but take a bow Shiv. YOU ARE AMONG THE GREATEST BATSMEN EVER TO PLAY THE GAME. RECORDS DO NOT LIE. And for those who say that CHANDERPAUL has not played MATCH DEFINING/WINNING innings like LARA I say simply you're absolutely wrong. CHECK THE RECORDS. Many of the Windies victories dating back to when Lara played has featured a significant contribution from Shiv. Any cricket lover will never forget the century he scored in 2003 along with Sarwan in Windies effort to record the highest run chase(418) ever to win a test match. After 10 years it remains the record and was achieved against a great Australian team. West Indies will be lucky if Shiv can continue playing to record his 200th test match.

on November 13, 2013, 5:32 GMT

Many thanks to Mr.Nagraj Gollapudi for such a great epic for Shivnariane Chanderpaul (my opinion says SIR CANDERPAUL).Shiv is a kind of player whose work has never applauded as ST LARA JAQUES but surely he belongs the same great caliber of our era......very sad for him (Shiv) that he comes too late in the batting order which is harming his average and surely its not a good cause for windies cricket
Luv to see that both Chanderpauls (Shivnaraine and his son Teganaraine) plays together

cricpanther
on November 13, 2013, 4:51 GMT

Chandrapual would certainly eyeing to cross Sachins runs!! Probably he and Kallis!! Its better Sachin can continue for 1 or 2 years where he can achieve few more thousand that no one can reach and sur pass that runs!! Now its time for MSD to give Sachin a chance to open the both his last innings to add few last his runs and not to win this test or make it draw if sachin did not get out, as India already ahead by 1-0 in series. If Sachin feels, he can re-think his decision and change his retirement plan post pone it by at least a year!! Finally if he can get his 150 runs to complete his 16000 runs that is great and cross brian laras record of 400 runs and break it by making 600 runs!!

exuma
on November 13, 2013, 4:38 GMT

Lets see what happens next test?.Will it be Chanders as usual at 6/7 batting for a notout or will he move up to 3/4 and hold the batting together. Anyways quite an achievement getting to 150 test, all the best and enjoy the moment with SRT at 200. We probably would not see this scenario again.

on November 13, 2013, 4:37 GMT

@cricketdebator Just go and ask the current Indian players or any player in the world who do they fear the most in the current west indian test lineup. Gayle, pollard, samuels? No. The universal answer would be Chanders... Do you think that is because of his ability to take singles on the first ball of every over. You are asking whether Chanders has played one match defining innings? Here is the snippet from Cricinfo profile

"That myth was exploded when a large piece of floating bone was removed from his foot late in 2000, and, suitably liberated, he set about rectifying his hundreds problem, scoring three in four Tests against India in 2001-02, and two more in the home series against Australia the following year, including 104 as West Indies successfully chased a world-record 418 for victory in the final Test in Antigua."

Has any one in the Indian team other than VVS (yes that includes SRT) play a master innings in the second innings with a huge mountain to climb?

on November 13, 2013, 4:36 GMT

I am proud to be from the same area as shiv. Yes, he is very underrated and I'm happy the cricketing world is acknowledging him now. He has gone to all over the world and score runs.. I think if he had more support during his career he could have won us more matches. Let us don't forget he has also saved us from many defeats..

on November 13, 2013, 4:12 GMT

Bat on Shiv so people like Cricketdebator and Snffleather et al. will know your worth when you beat Their Lara's record. For WI selectors and Gibson, please know that sources close to Chanders suggest he is not ready to retire. These sources also state that management does not want him to continue playing for fear that he will break Lara's record. bat on shiv and if they let you bat at 3 take it and make runs so they have tocontinue to select you.
Do what you know, bat, bat and bat long.

popahwheely
on November 13, 2013, 4:00 GMT

the more chanderpaul speaks the more i understand the decline of WI cricket. the team has too many aggressive players that why he plays the game the way he does. these guys cant bat 3 days to save their lives.

on November 13, 2013, 0:10 GMT

Thanks for writing such a masterpiece about one of a dying breed as chanderpaul remaining. they are saying here in the comment that chanderpaul relegates himself to a certain batting position so that he remains not out , this is utter foolishness. no batsman from any team anywhere in the world chooses his batting position, that is left up to management and captain decision .if only west indies could produce one just one batsman the character of chanderpaul then he could have someone and time to play a defining role with.chanderpaul batting at #5 is because the dumbfounded captaincy thinks they have better bats than the tiger...lol chanders will always get the last laugh

Dravid_Pujara_Gravitas
on November 12, 2013, 22:44 GMT

Chanders has been THE thorn in Team India's flesh. I have great admiration for him. He, Kallis and Dravid will be picked first in my team and then the rest. Haydos and Sehwag will be my openers, Hussey at 6, Dhoni at 7. Imagine the plight of the bowlers. Bowlers will be running for cover or will be bored to death. With Haydos and Sehwag, bowlers want to bowl away from the batsmen but with Dravid, Kallis and Chanders bowlers will be forced to bowl to them. Kapil, Botham, Hadlee, Imran and Warne complete my team of 12 to pick final 11 from. What a dream line-up that will be if it can materialize! But I'm looking forward for two more failures from Chanders now. Love him but don't want him to score against us. He had scored more than enough against us by now, tormenting us at every opportunity. Let him score boatloads of runs against other teams. Of course, I wouldn't complain if he gets a century or two in this test match. But I wish he doesn't. What a player! What a player! Take a bow!

bhushanB
on November 12, 2013, 22:43 GMT

For all his talent, patience and ability to stand ground... I truly think Chanderpaul should at least play at No. 4

on November 12, 2013, 21:47 GMT

When the medicalstudent passes his medical exam by one point, he is still regarded as a doctor. Similarly when abatsman gets droped at 25 and goes on to score a a century, the dropped cath is not noted on the score books. In time, when future generations looks at Shiv's stat they will see 10,,000 plus runs not his style or lack of flamboyance....who knows what Bradman's style looked like? Keep playing Shiv, only runs will force them to pick you.

Ncnotorious
on November 12, 2013, 21:34 GMT

All I can say is bat on Shiv!! So often he is underestimated and counted out. If West Indies had a better team, Chanderpaul would have the respect of the world he so richly deserves. But alas, he quietly does the job and sometimes even gets criticized for it. Bat on Shiv, Bat on!!

CodandChips
on November 12, 2013, 20:16 GMT

The argument about Chanderpaul not making many match winning innings is certainly valid. But consider this: how can Chanderpaul win matches when none of his teammates are playing well? If Chanderpaul played in a better team, I'm certain he'd have won more matches. But his teammates lose too many matches by not scoring enough, staying in long enough or taking wickets. How can Chanderpaul possibly win matches while his teammates are losing them?

Albert_cambell
on November 12, 2013, 19:33 GMT

@sachinisawesome. I have no idea who is this Prasanna jayawardene is and why are you comparing him with dhoni. It is a true fact that Dhoni is no match to our AB. Dhoni has 0 centuries in overseas wickets.Thats why he cannot be considered as a best finisher in the world. He bats like a tailender in overseas wickets. Hussey and beven are the best finishers ever produced in the world as they won matches all over the world. Regarding Kallis we all know he is an allrounder and his batting average is 57. Unfortunately he dint get play cricket for 24 years. otherwise he would have scored over 20000 runs in both formats(ODIs and Tests). Thats why Kallis is the real god of cricket.

swarzi
on November 12, 2013, 19:28 GMT

So Clint Nelson, are you saying that Shiv is "truly great" but SRT 'preyed upon the luxurious resources of youth'? I catch your point, and you are profoundly right; as it is quite true that Chanderpaul has never even narrowly faulted in his 22 years; while SRT has frequently done so, but has his massive aggressive PR team, overrating him for everything that he does: When he makes a duck, they say that he makes it like Bradman - have you ever heard more foolishness! They claim that Bradman say SRT's technique is like his, but when they understand that the historian say that Bradman had an awkward technique, SRT acolytes say he is better than Bradman - though he's not even yet better than Chanderpaul. Now, if there is any PURE batsman who was not dropped after averaging whether in the 20s or low 30s, after 39 CONSECUTIVE INNINGS, I would like to know his name, because that must be a WORLD RECORD! And if it's another WORLD RECORD for SRT, it must be given to him, because he likes records.

on November 12, 2013, 19:08 GMT

Thanks to Cricinfo for recognizing that along with Sachin, the stoic career of Shiv also needs celebration. I am sorry to say, but no such talent remains in Guyana. Fight on, Tiger.

CodandChips
on November 12, 2013, 18:10 GMT

@munna_indian "glad to see him sharing space with sachin at the same time"- unfortunately not true. He has been shoved behind Sachin, depsite the fact that he is a great player in his own right. Often the forgotten "great", becuase he isn't glamorous like Kallis, or Australin like Ponting, or Indian like Tendaulker. He just quietly goes about his business, and very successfully.

Frayninho21
on November 12, 2013, 18:09 GMT

The four horsemen of the apocalypse could appear behind the sightscreen and Shiv would wave them away before re-taking his guard and nudging one to fine leg as the fires raged and the ground opened up beneath him.....

Deanwsmith
on November 12, 2013, 17:47 GMT

Had the pleasure of playing on the same team as Shiv a month or so ago in Florida. One of the most humble, quietly spoken people I've ever met. Was amazing to watch him bat from the non strikers end. Im now going to be a lifetime fan. Absolute legend

munna_indian
on November 12, 2013, 17:41 GMT

looks like some restless minds across all nations here throw tantrums at other national players when their own players dont get enough attention. the cricketing personalities themselves mutually admire each other and there is nothing like one being the greatest and the other of no use. as cricket loving fans, lets mutually admire the qualities and achievements of all the players irrespective of nationalities. its the silly media which wants to sell their USPs by raking up the greatest vs least kind of analysis which we should discard. lets promote peace through sports and not pit ourselves like in war.

sachinisawesome
on November 12, 2013, 17:33 GMT

@ Albert_cambell And the funny thing is neither belong from your country. And we all know according to you everybody apart from Indian players are great. Ramdin and prassanna jayawardene are better than dhoni, thirrimanne and chandimal are better than Kohli and Jayawardene is better than sachin. We get it. But you know what. NO BODY CARES.

munna_indian
on November 12, 2013, 17:27 GMT

he is the probably the only "legend" who had not got his due all along his career. everytime, there has been mention of sachin, ponting, lara, kallis, dravid etc but never this unsung hero. he not only matches his contemporaries in terms of runs but in terms of longevity, i must admit, he is the closest second to sachin. he has been there since the 1993 series against england when sobers record was broken by lara and at that time, it was quite a phenomenal series and the most talked about as well. since then, he has quietly been setting and achieving his targets without enough media attention. glad to see him sharing space with sachin at the same time.

CodandChips
on November 12, 2013, 17:03 GMT

Fantastic player, who over the last few years has single handedly been fighting to rescue the sinking ship of West Indian Batting (although Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels seem to now be helping). Can't beleive the likes of Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles and Kieron Pollard play ODIS instead of him.

r4md3v
on November 12, 2013, 16:53 GMT

even the the great sachin who has completed his 200th test series but shinning star chandrapaul getting on 150th test is also attractive in this series

SALUTE
SACHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

SALUTE
CHANDRAPAUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

on November 12, 2013, 16:45 GMT

A true Unsung hero
Cant think of a Indies Team without him

MaruthuDelft
on November 12, 2013, 16:41 GMT

But Chandrapaul doesn't seem to make any impact whatsoever. Cricket fans are not unintelligent. Even though many can't articulate they do understand things. Despite all the stats they know Kallis is a cricketer not worth watching paying their hard earned money.

NelaturiShyam
on November 12, 2013, 15:54 GMT

It is a request from my side. I would like to know the origin of all WI's players of Indian origin starting from the Great Ramadin to the latest spinner, Veerasammy Permaul, like their ancestor's native place and the language they speak at home now etc. Is it possible for espncricinfo to give me these details? These sportsmen's contribution to WI cricket team is very great.Thanks.

on November 12, 2013, 15:46 GMT

A truly remarkable career. He is the paragon of consistency, amidst all the travails of West Indian cricket. He still has not gotten the respect he Deserves, especially in the iSLANDS and that is through parochialism. But he persists and continue to shoulder the burden, steadfast and unshaken. Congratulations Shiv. You have done us proud and we do appreciate all that you have done.

on November 12, 2013, 15:43 GMT

In one line to sum up...

Shivnarine Chanderpaul is Rahul Dravid of West Indies Cricket.!

on November 12, 2013, 15:35 GMT

the most under-rated cricket in the history of test cricket

on November 12, 2013, 15:31 GMT

Chanders need to bat at #3 in order to support the average (at best) batting lineup. Sammy along with Tino Best needs to go on a permanent vacation away from the WI Test side. Tendulkar is probably thinking "Why couldn't be a competitive team that he retires against" Embarrasing is one of the choice words for this team.

Albert_cambell
on November 12, 2013, 15:17 GMT

He is the REAL wall of cricket. Not someone who played for india and averaged 30 in South Africa's green tracks. Chanderpaul's achievements got unnoticed by the world, because Indian fans created too much hype around Dravid. Same goes with Kallis. To be honest the real wall of cricket is Chanderpaul and the God of cricket is Kallis.

on November 12, 2013, 15:05 GMT

"From 2007, [Shiv] has avged 70.52 in 48 Tests.[Of]..78 batsmen who ..scored at least 1000 runs [in]this period, no one..has avged more". Caribbean-man's 'Greatness Philosophy' states: "The best way to know whether or not a sportsman is truly great, is to judge him in the twilight of his career, analysing and comparing the level of efficiency that he exhibits at this most critical juncture in his game, in relation to his output when he was in his prime; that is, the manner in which he utilizes his natural endowments of strength, knowledge, skills and temperament, in career-long customary and familiar situations, but which now demand more from wearing natural elements created by the onerous demands of time. Those whose efficiency between prime and twilight vary less are the TRULY GREAT ONES, and those that vary most were just weak vessels that preyed upon the luxurious resources of youth". The virtue of longevity in sports is durability to the very end. Who is truly great, Shiv or SRT?

windiesyouth.12
on November 12, 2013, 14:44 GMT

paragraph 2: 'people in Guyana will stay awake to proudly watch their own son walk in to his 150th Test." Sadly the fans in Guyana will not get to see 'Tiger' achieve this feat as the match will not be broadcast on local television and only a few persons have cable TV. Nevertheless, congrats to Shiv and may he continue to bat on.

on November 12, 2013, 14:43 GMT

Rajib, I thought you guys in India regard Gayle as West Indies best batsman. After all what he had done to the Indian bowlers during IPL games. Test cricket calls for application and technique. It's not like American baseball here you fire after each ball. The West Indies selectors unto today do NOT realize this. That's why I keep on mentioning Sarwan should be included in this tour to India. The cricketing world does NOT know about the intricacy of West Indies cricket organization. Good luck West Indies in the second test.

A-Gunnie
on November 12, 2013, 14:32 GMT

Besides the great Lara,Chanders will go down as W.I most prolific run scorer.He could have easily give up from the pressure of previous captains and currently Gibson but didn't.His runs are not pretty but as a batsman he does what he supposed to. Yet,he is undermined by batting him in the current line-up with a tail from 6 thru 11 as others continue to fail at their spot in the line up.It is transparent of what W.I management thinks of him.....sad indeed.

on November 12, 2013, 14:27 GMT

surely one of the greats to play in modern time. Can be easily compared with the likes of Dravid and Kallis

on November 12, 2013, 14:18 GMT

Why West Indies are bearing this kind of flop wicket keeper for a long time ? D. Ramdin has only avg of 26 after playing 51 Tests. And only avg 20 after playing more than 100 ODI. Whenever D Ramdin has arrived in India- he faces a lot of trouble. I hardly remembered any good innings in this sub- continent ? Dont u think- Ramdin should have replaced as early as possible...

on November 12, 2013, 14:17 GMT

Mr. Chanderpaul should bat at number 3 regularly in tests- as he is best batsman of WI current side

on November 12, 2013, 14:16 GMT

India's nemesis; as other left-handed players of his generation were.

on November 12, 2013, 23:14 GMT

A great article fitting every facet of one of cricket's most dynamic player.Shivnarine Chanderpaul.No other batsman in the history of this game can boost more commitment like the ever green Guyanese.It's a shame on those he represent,their narrow mindedness has deprived them the privilege of recognizing greatness. Many around the world applaud his achievements.Like Tendulkar and Lara,there may never be a player in the caliber of Shiv.Not only is he an artist of precision and class,he is a gentleman who earns respects where ever he goes.I met him on a few occasions and it doesn't come better.At age 40 he is a revelation.I wish him many more centuries and may god continue to bless this master piece.

nafzak
on November 12, 2013, 22:53 GMT

A man is a product of his time and conditions. Chanderpaul must be understood in the context of his upbringing in Guyana - which in the 70's & 80's was a time of survival at al costs. He reminds me of former tennis great, Ivan Lendal. Grit, hard work and less flash. Enough that Chanders only plays for average or did not have many match winning innings. Please let me know when he had the opportunity to 'win' or 'save' a match and he did not. Wi have been losing big.. with days to spare and behind 2-300 runs. Fact is Chanders is always in 'survival' mode because the top order failed and WI has a long tail. I would argue that if Chanders batted higher up, his average would have been even higher that is is now. India, Australia, South Africa.. all have 4-5 great batsmen in their team. WI have 1 in Chanders and 3-4 less than average to give Chanders support.

PPD123
on November 12, 2013, 19:39 GMT

A truly magnificent player of his generation. Very underrated and probably never got spoken about as much as some of his peers. Couple of things that go against him - the 1st is not his doing - he was born in an era when WI were on their downward spiral and 2ndly his game was not very "attractive" to the general audience. I think he has the lowest strike rate amongst all his contemporaries. While he was making runs, he was not making them fast enough to force more wins for WI. thats why people remember Lara because he was a genus with the bat at played so many match winning inngs - who can forget that magical 153 against Aus which secured a 1 wkt win for the WI. All said he has been a great servant of WI cricket, and all said and done he deserves to be rated very highly in the pantheon of WI and world cricket.

cricketdebator
on November 12, 2013, 19:36 GMT

One of the reasons why Chanderpaul is hardly recognized for his feats is that while batting, he does not stamp his authority on the game. As the supposedly best batsman on the team, he needs to bat at No. 3 or 4, take command, and shape the course of the team's innings. For him to relegate himself so far down the order, mostly taking a single from the first ball of each over, is simply not enough. That is why the few runs he ends with most of the times are of little or no significance to the team's effort. Yes, he specializes in batting not out, and make his average looks good, but how many times in those 149 test did he play a MATCH DEFINING innings for his team? By that I mean, (an innings similar to that played by Sharma in the just conclude test match).

on November 12, 2013, 14:16 GMT

India's nemesis; as other left-handed players of his generation were.

on November 12, 2013, 14:17 GMT

Mr. Chanderpaul should bat at number 3 regularly in tests- as he is best batsman of WI current side

on November 12, 2013, 14:18 GMT

Why West Indies are bearing this kind of flop wicket keeper for a long time ? D. Ramdin has only avg of 26 after playing 51 Tests. And only avg 20 after playing more than 100 ODI. Whenever D Ramdin has arrived in India- he faces a lot of trouble. I hardly remembered any good innings in this sub- continent ? Dont u think- Ramdin should have replaced as early as possible...

on November 12, 2013, 14:27 GMT

surely one of the greats to play in modern time. Can be easily compared with the likes of Dravid and Kallis

A-Gunnie
on November 12, 2013, 14:32 GMT

Besides the great Lara,Chanders will go down as W.I most prolific run scorer.He could have easily give up from the pressure of previous captains and currently Gibson but didn't.His runs are not pretty but as a batsman he does what he supposed to. Yet,he is undermined by batting him in the current line-up with a tail from 6 thru 11 as others continue to fail at their spot in the line up.It is transparent of what W.I management thinks of him.....sad indeed.

on November 12, 2013, 14:43 GMT

Rajib, I thought you guys in India regard Gayle as West Indies best batsman. After all what he had done to the Indian bowlers during IPL games. Test cricket calls for application and technique. It's not like American baseball here you fire after each ball. The West Indies selectors unto today do NOT realize this. That's why I keep on mentioning Sarwan should be included in this tour to India. The cricketing world does NOT know about the intricacy of West Indies cricket organization. Good luck West Indies in the second test.

windiesyouth.12
on November 12, 2013, 14:44 GMT

paragraph 2: 'people in Guyana will stay awake to proudly watch their own son walk in to his 150th Test." Sadly the fans in Guyana will not get to see 'Tiger' achieve this feat as the match will not be broadcast on local television and only a few persons have cable TV. Nevertheless, congrats to Shiv and may he continue to bat on.

on November 12, 2013, 15:05 GMT

"From 2007, [Shiv] has avged 70.52 in 48 Tests.[Of]..78 batsmen who ..scored at least 1000 runs [in]this period, no one..has avged more". Caribbean-man's 'Greatness Philosophy' states: "The best way to know whether or not a sportsman is truly great, is to judge him in the twilight of his career, analysing and comparing the level of efficiency that he exhibits at this most critical juncture in his game, in relation to his output when he was in his prime; that is, the manner in which he utilizes his natural endowments of strength, knowledge, skills and temperament, in career-long customary and familiar situations, but which now demand more from wearing natural elements created by the onerous demands of time. Those whose efficiency between prime and twilight vary less are the TRULY GREAT ONES, and those that vary most were just weak vessels that preyed upon the luxurious resources of youth". The virtue of longevity in sports is durability to the very end. Who is truly great, Shiv or SRT?

Albert_cambell
on November 12, 2013, 15:17 GMT

He is the REAL wall of cricket. Not someone who played for india and averaged 30 in South Africa's green tracks. Chanderpaul's achievements got unnoticed by the world, because Indian fans created too much hype around Dravid. Same goes with Kallis. To be honest the real wall of cricket is Chanderpaul and the God of cricket is Kallis.

on November 12, 2013, 15:31 GMT

Chanders need to bat at #3 in order to support the average (at best) batting lineup. Sammy along with Tino Best needs to go on a permanent vacation away from the WI Test side. Tendulkar is probably thinking "Why couldn't be a competitive team that he retires against" Embarrasing is one of the choice words for this team.